Ed Carlson, free spirit known as 'The Waver,' dies

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Ed Carlson, a smiling free spirit who became known as "The Waver" for waving at motorists while on foot across the country for over 30 years, died Friday at his home in Iowa at the age of 75.

Carlson became an institution in Reno, which was his home base from the 1970s to 2007 when he moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to be close to family.

Friend Betty Layton of Reno says the Burlington, Iowa, native used to wave in Reno and then hitch a ride 25 miles to the south to Carson City, where he waved before hitching back to Reno.

Daughter Kristina Butterfield of Cedar Rapids says her father also waved to motorists on his many walks across the U.S.